Family Assistance - Additional Family Day Care Places

What's New?

The Government will increase the number of family day care places by a total of 4,000 in 2004.

This increase includes 2,500 places that were announced by the Government in December 2003 and allocated from January 2004. These places were immediately allocated to areas with demonstrated need, as identified through the child care planning system.

An additional 1,500 places will be allocated from July 2004.

Background

Family day care offers flexible child care, particularly for families located in remote or rural areas of Australia. Family day care promotes early childhood development and learning in a safe and secure environment.

Funding provided under this measure allows Child Care Benefit to be paid to eligible parents. Services that were given additional places also receive additional operational subsidies.

Access to affordable, quality, child care programs and services helps parents to participate in employment, training, or community activities, and to better balance their work and family responsibilities.

In 2002–03 174,685 children from over 115,000 families used approved family day care places. The amount of Government support for family day care, including Child Care Benefit and Operational Subsidies, over this period was around $361.0 million.